For reasons that are still unclear, James Brown sidestepped his King contract to record briefly for Mercury circa 1964. "Out of Sight," justly regarded as a JB classic, was his big Mercury hit, and it headlined his mos... more &raquot anomalous album. On it, Soul Brother #1 tackles songs like "Come Rain or Come Shine," "Mona Lisa," "Nature Boy," and "I Loves You Porgy." Rather than reconfiguring these songs with the Famous Flames, he works with a lush backdrop of strings and voices. The juxtaposition works surprisingly well, but nowhere near as well as "Maybe the Last Time"--a glorious, gospel-like call-and- response with the Flames. The original version of "I Got You," held back in the contractual squabble, is also here. --Colin Escott&laquo less

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For reasons that are still unclear, James Brown sidestepped his King contract to record briefly for Mercury circa 1964. "Out of Sight," justly regarded as a JB classic, was his big Mercury hit, and it headlined his most anomalous album. On it, Soul Brother #1 tackles songs like "Come Rain or Come Shine," "Mona Lisa," "Nature Boy," and "I Loves You Porgy." Rather than reconfiguring these songs with the Famous Flames, he works with a lush backdrop of strings and voices. The juxtaposition works surprisingly well, but nowhere near as well as "Maybe the Last Time"--a glorious, gospel-like call-and- response with the Flames. The original version of "I Got You," held back in the contractual squabble, is also here. --Colin Escott